Together
by Strifers19
Summary: "I felt a tear trek down my cheek. He rested his cheek against the top of my head while I silently cried. His grip tightened slightly on my arm and I knew, despite my own sorrow, that Cloud was hurting too, whether for me or his own reasons I would never find out. So we we sat, as we had done so many times in the past, holding each other together." Possible M In later chapters
1. Prologue

Prologue

You ever have one of those moments? Where your fingers go numb, you can't breathe, and you suddenly feel as if the whole world is closing in on you, like it's slipping right between your fingers?

The worst thing about it was that I suspected nothing. Rufus and I had been happily married for eight years and had the most beautiful daughter, Marlene. She was six at the time I found out about his affair. Rufus had been secretly courting my best friend, Elena for a year and a half. She was the one who finally came out and told me. If you've never been through that, having to listen to your best friend tell you that she has been sleeping with your husband, you will never understand what I went through. First, you feel cold, as if someone injected ice cold water straight into your bloodstream. Then, everything goes silent. You can't think, feel. It hurts to breathe. I remember staring at her, unable to move. She didn't even look upset, she looked almost... proud. I could have hit her were it not for my inability to move. And then the fog clears. Your hearing stops being fuzzy and the adrenaline surges through your body, racing to your heart. I remember how livid I was. Flailing and screeching at her. I eventually managed to get her out of my house and it wasn't until then that the reality of her words hit me.

My marriage was over.

When Rufus got home from work that day I had already started packing. Luckily, Marlene was staying over at a friend's house and she didn't have to witness the fight we had or, at least, not the worst of it. I was upstairs in our bedroom when he called to me, announcing his arrival. I started to shake. Anger pulsed through me like an electric current, speeding through my body. I continued to slam my clothes into a suitcase as I heard him ascend the stairs. "Tifa, I'm ho-"He paused, I couldn't even turn to look at him, "What are you doing, Honey?" I gritted my teeth and continued to throw clothes into the suitcase. I walked past him and down the stairs, not daring to look at him. I went into the crawl space and found numerous boxes and brought them into the living room. He walked up to me, "Tifa!" He exclaimed, grabbing me by the arm and forcing me to look at him. "What is this? What are you doing with the boxes?"

"I don't know, Rufus... What are you doing sleeping with my best friend?" I ripped my arm from his grasp and he looked at me, stricken. I crossed my arms, "The charade is over, Rufus. She came and told me." I felt my stomach clench. After hours of arguing and negotiating we finally came to a conclusion. Marlene and I were going to go back to my hometown and stay with my parents. Apparently, Rufus had to 'search himself' to find out what he really wanted. So I continued to pack and Marlene and I left within the week, with broken spirits, and bleeding hearts.


	2. New Life

"Don't look back, Honey. We have a whole new life ahead of us. It's going to be great! You'll see." Marlene sat back down in the passenger seat as we left the driveway, our car packed and our sights set for Nibelhiem. It felt strange going back there and almost… frightening. I hadn't been back to Nibelhiem in almost five years. I had lived there my entire childhood. Same house, same school. I left as soon as I became legal.

"How long are we going to be staying with Grandpa?" Marlene sulked on the window sill of our car. I reached over and stroked her long, dark hair.

"…I don't know." I gripped the wheel harder than I needed. "Mom," She asked, hesitantly, "How come we're going to stay with him? If you and Daddy are mad at each other, why doesn't he go and stay somewhere else?"

I swallowed the acidic taste in my mouth and felt my stomach clench. Just hearing his name put my nerves on edge. "Well, I thought that it would probably be a good time for us to visit Grandpa while Daddy and I sort things out." Marlene was aware of what was going on between Rufus and Elena. She just didn't want to believe it. I really didn't blame her.

"So, we're gonna be living there now?"

"Yes, Honey. Just until things between Daddy and I settle down a bit." She sat back in her seat and slouched, crossing her arms. She remained quiet for most of our drive. We stopped and ate at different places along the way, but Marlene just glared into her food. I was beginning to wonder if this really was the best idea.

We arrived in Nibelhiem in only 2 days, which was definitely a record. While driving through the town, a giant wave of nostalgia washed over me. I was home. As we traveled down Main Street, I looked over the familiar little town and smiled to myself. Over to my right was Maria's bakery. The scent of her fresh breads and delicious pastries wafted through my open window, Zangan's Martial arts studio was directly next to it. A place I spent a lot of my time as a teen. My father insisted that if I were to be moving to the city after high school, I should be able to defend myself. I looked over to the left and felt my stomach seize. Mary Strife was outside the Antique Shop. She had owned it when I was just a small girl; she had lived next door to us for many years. She was also the mother of Cloud, the boy that had had a huge crush on me when we were kids.

I cleared my throat and continued down the street, turning off when I saw the familiar road. Marlene scoffed, "It's so small."

"It's bigger than it used to be."

"It used to be smaller?! How could it get any smaller?" I glared at her, "Hey, this place is my home young lady. You'd better get used to it here!"

She slouched and started grumbling. I ignored it and looked ahead. As I watched the familiar houses creep past, I felt the hole in my heart start to ache.

"There it is! Mom! Grandpa is waiting for us!" I looked and she was right. My father sat in his old wicker chair out on the beautiful front porch. His hair had grown fair with age and his face was wrinkled slightly. He sat with a book in his lap and a tattered straw hat on his head. He looked up and smiled, his eyes, sparkling with joy. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and pulled into the driveway.

"Hello! It's about time; I've been sitting out here all day just waiting to see my girls!" My father's voice rang throughout the neighborhood. I shook my head and laughed.

"Grandpa," Marlene rushed into his arms while I started to unload the trunk. As I placed the first box down, I looked over at the house next door, Cloud's house. I wondered if he was still living there with his mom. Probably not.

"Tifa you can get those later. C'mon, let's go into the house and get you something to eat" Marlene rushed into the house ahead of me. My father waited for me to stop fussing over boxes and lock the trunk before he pulled me into a hug. The hole in my heart stung as I wrapped my arms back around him.

"Dad," I whispered, taking in the scent of him. He always smelled of sawdust and ashes. He was one of the town's most generous people. Never thinking twice before helping anyone in need. It was something I admired him for.

"I know, Honey." He ran his hand up and down my back, just like he used too when I was a little girl. It was soothing. I smiled, hoping the days ahead would be as grand as I hoped.

"Grandpa, I'm six-years-old. I know your just joking!"

"Ah, but you see…" I laughed at my dad. Always up to his old magic tricks. As soon as we finished unloading the boxes he had literally, attacked Marlene. Not letting her out of his sight. It was good for the both of them. I walked out the back door of the familiar two-story house and onto the back porch. There was a pond on the edge of the property where I used to try and catch fish with my dad. I watched the ducks bobbing for food as the sun went down behind them. I heard the door open behind me and saw my father walking out with two cups of what I could only imagine to be hot chocolate.

"Never got into the coffee habit, hm?" I smiled at him.

"You know me, if I drank that stuff I'd be bouncing off the walls. Besides, I have too much of a sweet tooth." He winked.

I took a sip. The taste rolled off my tongue. It was exactly as I remembered it being. My dad had a sort of 'Magic Touch' when it came to hot chocolate.

"Hey dad," I looked towards the house next door. His house.

"Yes?"

I paused, remembering all the time I spent in that house. Reading comics, playing video games and, building amazing Lego castles, sadly against my father's wishes. Ever since the accident on Mount Nibel, my dad had never liked Cloud. He was convinced that Cloud caused me to fall, but really he was trying to save my life, if only I hadn't been so stupid.

Cloud and I had been best friends for as long as I could remember. It was almost scary, thinking of seeing him again, but at the same time, I was intrigued. What had he done with his life after I had left? Was he married? Did he have kids? Hell, did he even still live in town? So many questions, so few answers.


	3. Familiar Faces

I am sososososososo sorry for how long it takes me to update. I promised myself i'd write another chapter before i posted one, but obviously that didn't happen. Although I might write a later part tonight.. instead of studying. Which is probably a really bad thing.

But here you guys go, and if you see Aerith/Aeris used, it's because I started writing it calling her Aerith, but decided to kick it oldschool and go back to Aeris, if you find one, PLEASE let me know lol

enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2

"Okay, Marlene," I straightened her jacket. We stood outside the primary school alone. Her first day at a new school was frightening for both of us. "Time to go in. Do you want me to come with you?"

She looked nervous. I didn't blame her. Starting a new school, in a new town was something I had never really done. Nibelhiem had always been my home. I went to school with the same people for twelve long years of my life. She shook her head, kissed me on the cheek and continued up the few short steps. She took a deep breath and walked in, determination clear by the set of her shoulders. I smiled, proud.

After dropping the car off at home, I decided to take a walk into town. Surrounding myself with the familiarity of home. I put on my shorts and t-shirt and started my journey, making sure I passed Cloud's old house. From the looks of it, no one was home. Mary must be at the Antique Shop by now. Maybe, if I worked up the courage, I would stop in...

When I made it to Main Street, I couldn't help but marvel at the changes. There were a variety of new shops that hadn't existed when I lived here. A dress shop with ornately designed curtains. A new café smelling of freshly brewed coffee and various pastries. A book store, yes, believe it or not, there was no book store here when I was a child. I went in and the smell of new books wafted towards me. It was a fairly small shop, no bigger than your common living room. The shelves were packed with various books. I smiled, if only this had been here when I was younger.

"Can I help you?" The woman at the front desk looked extremely familiar. She had dark brown hair and half moon glasses. She looked to be around my age.

"Oh, no thanks I was just-"

"Oh my goodness… Tifa? Tifa Lockheart?"

"Uh..." Of course, this was my maiden name, "Yes?"

"It's me! Shera! We were in Home Economics together!" That's when it hit me. Shera wasn't one of my best friends, but we got along quite well. She even invited me over a few times.

"Shera!" I smiled, "Wow! I can't believe it." She rushed around the counter to hug me. I struggled to breathe. "How are you?"

She let go. "Oh pshh." She waved off my question, "I'm fine, but what I really want to know is how you are? I heard about… You know… You poor girl! How are you holding up?"

I swallowed hard. My father really had it coming; he never knew when to shut his mouth. "I'm fine, really." I added after her questioning look. How many people did he tell?!

"Well, I sure hope you are. Oh, sorry I have a customer. Look me up, maybe we can get together and have some coffee sometime! Hm?"

"That'd be great! It was nice talking to you, Shera!" I waved and walked out, cursing my father and his loud mouth.

So much for my nice walk through town…

I did manage to have a relatively calm walk after that. The odd person would stop me on the street and ask me how I have been. One man even offered me a job and his pet store. I turned him down saying that I already had an offer which was a complete lie. I shook my head and continued on. I walked passed the flower shop, stopping to take a look. Finding the door unlocked, I walked in. As soon as I opened the door I was hit by a wall of invigorating scents. The sweet smell of the lilacs, and the bitterness of the lilies. I smiled, admiring the abundance of colour.  
"I was wondering when you were gonna show your face in here."

I turned and looked at the front desk and smiled immediately. Behind it was a woman with piercing green eyes. Her hair was done in a long braid down her back and tied with a bright pink ribbon. She smiled at me and bounced around the counter to wrap her arms around me, much like Shera had. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I hugged Aeris. She and I had been best friend's althroughout elementary and high school. Seeing her again, made my heart clench and brought tears to my eyes. I pushed them back and swallowed. "I can't believe your still here, Aeris. " I smiled at her.

"Ah, sooner or later we all come back. I heard about Rufus… I'm really sorry Teef." She left her hand on my shoulder as she pulled away. It was a comforting gesture.

"I'm fine. It was just kind of…" I couldn't find the right words. It was almost painful to think about. What did I think of Rufus cheating on me? She just smiled at me, knowing immediately what I was feeling.

I spent an hour or so with Aeris, she would tend to her customers and I sat in a chair behind her counter. We talked about everything. I mostly talked about Marlene, and she gushed over her boyfriend of four years, Zack Fair. I remembered Zack from high school. He was the quarterback on the football team. Aeris and I had hung out with him on occasion and I remembered her having a huge crush on him.

"Do you remember hanging out with him and Cloud at the spring just at the bottom of the mountain?" She laughed at the memory. I tried to remember. What had happened?

"Oh c'mon, you remember. Zack's shorts got caught on the tree when he went on the Tarzan Swing? He went butt naked into the pond." My mouth gaped in surprise. I remembered that day. Cloud and I had laughed so hard that we couldn't breathe. Aeris plucked his shorts from the tree and tossed them in for him. He was blushing, but also managed to laugh at himself.

I laughed, "Of course I remember. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life!"

"Laughed at what?"

And who should appear but the victim of our gossip. Zack was still sporting his long raven spikes and beautiful blue eyes, though they seemed brighter. His muscular build was a lot more filled out from our days in high school but he was still as handsome as ever.

"Zack," I smiled and he embraced me from behind in an unsteady hug as he tried to pull me off the stool.

"Howdy, Teef! Welcome back!" He let go and went over to Aeris, casually kissed her on the cheek. "I never thought you would come back. But, I guess Rufus turned out to be the dirtball I told you he was." He gave me a humorous 'I told you so' look and noogied me. Zack was the only one who openly told me he didn't approve of my dating Rufus. I knew Cloud hadn't liked it either, but he humored me. I realized later, he only humored me because he thought Rufus would make me happy.

What a lie that had been.

I laughed at Zack; he never failed to make me do so. "Yeah, or maybe it was me-"

"Oh c'mon, Tifa. We all know it wasn't you." Aeris said in an annoyed tone.

"You never know, Aeris," I looked down at my hands, "It is possible."

Zack sighed, "Cloud will get her to see reason, Aeris. He was always the one who could get her back on her feet." Zack sent a crooked smile my way and winked. I blushed immediately.

"So… He is, uh," I swallowed.

"Yes, he is still in town. Actually, I just saw him over at Zangan's with the kid," I felt my heart split in two. So he had a son. Possibly a wife. I put my hand over my heart.

"Denzel." She threw over her shoulder as she went to help a customer with a purchase.

"Yeah, right. Whose kid is he?" Zack called back to her. I felt a spark of hope. Not his kid… Aeris thought for a minute, "I want to say Ann-Marie's. The one who used to work at the fabric shop, right, Zack?"

"Oh yeah! Ann-Marie. She was the head cheerleader, you remember, right, Tifa?"

I did remember. Long, brown curls that I was always jealous of, and possibly the most popular girl in school, but she had quite a reputation. Many people knew she was big on the party scene and every guy wanted her. That was until she got pregnant with five months left of school. I felt bad for her. Everyone treated her different after they found out. Her parents had kicked her out of the house and she was living in the apartment above the fabric shop. I always imagined what it must have been like, to go from the top of the social ladder, all the way back down it. Luckily, I stayed away from the party scene.

After spending another half hour with Zack and Aeris, I left, desperately wanting to seek out Cloud, but at the same time, afraid of our meeting. As I continued my walk, I made sure to pass by Zangan's to say hi to my old Martial Arts teacher. It felt good seeing him again although, last time his face was not quite so warped with age. His fading hairline was almost completely gone and his eyes were buried with wrinkles.

I began to realize how much I really missed Nibelhiem.

As I was turning into the yard of my father's house, I noticed Mary Strife carrying groceries from her car. I smiled at her with gratification. As I watched her unload her car, I couldn't help the insane urge to run across the street and embrace her. I walked slowly over to her, seeing the very slight curve of her aged spine. Her graying hair was pulled back in a neat bun and her glasses sat precariously at the edge of her nose.

"Need a hand?" I offered. When she looked at me, she almost dropped the bag she was holding.

"Oh, Tifa! How long has it been? Come here, dear!" I had to stop myself from running to her. She cupped my face in her hands and examined me from head to foot. "How much you've grown." She marveled at me.

"And you're quite the stunner yourself!" I smiled at her. She laughed.

"Oh pish," She waved her hand.

"Would you like me to help you, Mary? It's not a problem." She nodded and I went to grab a bag from the back of her ancient Station Wagon. I remember Cloud trying to teach me to drive it when I was only fifteen. It was the single-most terrifying moment in my life.

"After we finish with those, come on in and we'll have a cup of tea. I'm anxious to hear what you've been up too." She called to me from her patio. I nodded back to her and carried the remainder of the bags into the house.


	4. Feelings

"Oh, honey," She placed her beautifully aged hand across my own, "I'm so sorry about your husband."

After recounting my story to Mary, I felt more peaceful than I had of late. Talking to this woman was always something I could count on to make me feel better. There was just something about her that comforted me. She was like a mother to me. Mine had died when I was eight and ever since it had been just me and my father. I had confided in Mary on many occasions, talking about almost everything. She helped me through moments that my father couldn't possibly have understood. She taught me a lot of important lessons.

"What about this daughter of yours, Marlene was it? You simply must bring her over to visit me." She smiled, her lips stretching in the sweetest smile. I laughed.

"Oh, of course I will. I'm sure she will be happy to meet you." Marlene knew that my mother died when I was young, but she never really knew the extent of my relationship with Cloud's mother. I was dying to introduce them.

"Wonderful! I'll be expecting a visit. Oh," She looked out the window on her left. Outside, I saw an old, blue pick-up truck pull up in front of the house. As the door opened, my heart contracted in my chest. He still had the familiar blond spikes, the same haunting blue eyes that meant only one person.

Cloud.

"Looks like Cloud is here for a visit as well. Have you talked to him since you've been in town?" She rose from her seat and made her way to the door.

"No," I swallowed, "I actually haven't seen him." I pulled on the hem of my shirt and followed. Anticipation and nerves getting the best of me. I took a deep breath.

"There's my wonderful son, come for some of my famous apple pie?" She smiled and walked out the door to meet him. I followed and stopped in the doorway behind her. He wore a black shirt, the sleeves pulled up to his elbows and dark pants. His hands were covered in oil and dirt. From the looks of the toolbox he held, he had just finished fixing someone's vehicle. He smiled his typical half smile at his mother as he approached.

"Of course! Who could pass up your apples pies?" He kissed her on the cheek and she patted his in return.

"That's my boy. Look, we have a visitor." She pointed in my direction and the world seemed to stop. He looked up with a smile that instantly faded when he saw me. His eyes became emotionless and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. His hand dropped slowly from his mother's shoulder.

Mary looked between us for a moment and smiled her cunning smile, "Well… Why don't I go warm up that pie while you two get reacquainted?" She walked in past me and I felt my eyes begin to well up.

"Tifa," His voice was still the hoarse, deep tone it was when I had left. The familiarity of it brought up memories of things he had once said to me. The sound was always comforting to me. I bit my lip, urging my tears to stay hidden. I cleared my throat and forced a smile to my lips.

"Cloud," I walked towards the stairs of the deck, forcing my legs to keep me standing. He chuckled in disbelief and closed the distance in a few quick steps and surrounded me with his strong arms. I held to him just as tightly, clinging to his shirt so hard I was afraid I might tear through it. We stood for a moment in the silence, embracing, until he broke the silence.

"It's so good to see you again. How have you been?" I felt his reluctance as he let go and looked at me. He looked exactly the same as I remembered him except for his eyes. They looked… brighter, just like Zack's. He walked me back into the house where we were greeted with probably the best apple pie in the world. After, he took me into the backyard as I recounted the recent events of my life for the second time today. He listened intently as I told him everything, in even more detail than I had told his mother. I felt the hole in my heart ache feverishly as I talked, but this ache was different. Not the hollow loneliness I felt for being betrayed by someone I loved, but the ache of memory. Being around Cloud almost hurt. He shook his head at the end of my story and looked at the pond our two houses shared. I looked at his hands. They were calloused and rough looking. Hands of a man, not of the young boy I remembered.

"I tried to warn you." He rubbed his eyes and his tone was drained, he seemed exhausted.

"And as usual, I never listened to you." I picked a piece of grass and mutilated it.

"Yeah well, it sounds like you got the best of him though. How old is she?" He looked at me again and I saw the emptiness of his eyes again. It was unsettling. "Six."

"So it's been that long…" I looked at him and he looked back. Seven years had passed in which I hadn't spoken to him. I wrote him letters for the first few months of my marriage, but once Marlene had been born I didn't have time to write anymore, or at least, that was my excuse of choice.

"I'm sorry, Cloud." His name was like poison on my tongue, my own personal brand of poison, torturing me for my neglect.

"It's alright," He sighed and stretched, flexing his shoulder. I looked at him, curious.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?"

He shrugged, "Just… stiff. " I looked at him, scrutinizing him. He laughed at me. "I'm fine, Tifa. I'm helping build a new shop in town, so I'm sore." He rolled his shoulders.

"If you say so…" I crossed my arms, staring him down.

"Trust me, for once." I bit my lip and whistled innocently. He chuckled. It felt good spending time like this with Cloud. Just being around him made me feel at home. As we talked, he told me of his life. How he had thought about school, but just couldn't think of what to do. How he had taken in the young boy, Denzel. Cloud said that Denzel's father had left when he was young and his mother, Anne-Marie, just took off on him, leaving him at the orphanage which Cloud was coincidentally helping to build at the time. So, Cloud had stepped forward of his own accord and became a 'Big Brother' of sorts. He would take the boy fishing and let him help with jobs around town. He would show him how to fix things and how to fight.

He walked me back to my house. Luckily, my father was out for the day, doing his typical everyday work. Whether he was helping people with finances or wood work, my dad was always there to help.

"Thanks for walking me home, Cloud."

"Just like old times…" He was looking up at my house and as I watched, I noticed a small smile on his face which, in turn, brought one to my own.

I pulled my house key from my pocket, "So, I'll… see you around then?" I fumbled nervously with the keys. He smiled.

"Yeah, of course. I have to meet this daughter of yours, right?"

"Right," He slowly approached me and wrapped his arms gently around me, and I returned the gesture. Hugging Cloud was like a remedy. I could feel the edges of the hole in my heart start to heal. The pain and loneliness dulled to a slight ache, but as soon as he let go, the wound tore itself open again and as I watched him walk back to his mother's house I felt my heart burst as I sat on the porch and tried to hold it together.


	5. Grudges

After Marlene returned home for school, I made dinner for both her and my father and we all sat to a quiet meal. My father tried desperately to get Marlene to talk to him about her day, but she only offered him a few points. She never really touched her food, only when she got bored of pushing it around her plate did she actually take a bite. I bit my lip and did the same.

"Boy, you two sure are a lively bunch…" My father was always good with sarcasm.

"I'm just tired, Grandpa." Marlene slouched and rested her cheek against her hand.

"Well, what about you, Tifa?" I looked up at the sound of my name.

"What was that, Dad?"

He rolled his eyes, "What did you do today?"

"Well, I…" I paused, not knowing if my father still hated Cloud, "Just sort of, wandered around town. I saw Aeris and Zack at the flower shop…"

"Ah, yes. They opened that up about a year or so ago. They are actually doing quite well there." He shoveled a bite into his mouth and I shook my head. You could always expect my father to eat when there is food around despite the mood.

"Who's that, Mom?" Marlene said to her spaghetti.

"Oh, they were good friends of your mom's when she was little. Couldn't separate them if I wanted too. Well, at least you two girls. I remember separating you from the boys well enough…" Also, leave it to my father to bring up a statement like that.

"What do you mean, Grandpa?"

Dad looked at me from the corner of his eye, "Oh one of the boys let Tifa fall down the mountain around the time that Grandma died." Yep, he still hated Cloud. I clenched my fork in my hand, "He didn't let me fall, Dad. He tried to save me, but we both fell."

"What were you doing on the mountain, mom?"

"She followed the boy up the mountain for some-"

"No, dad. I told you. I went up the mountain thinking I could see mom cross over but I slipped off the bridge. Cloud was the only one brave enough to come after me."

"Well, he still let you fall." I looked at Marlene who looked uncomfortable. I sighed and sat back in my chair, rubbing my eyes.

"Cloud? I remember, you told me about him before. He was your best friend, right?" Marlene looked confused.

"Keyword, Marlene dear. 'Was',"

I glared at my dad. "Excuse me," I hastily got up from the table and rinsed off my plate. I went up to my room to take a shower.

I shut my door with more force than necessary and clenched my fists. It wasn't right of him to treat Cloud the way he did back then. After the incident on the mountain, I had been in a coma for seven days and, from what Cloud had told me, he had become an outcast in town. Ridiculed everywhere he went. No matter how hard I tried to tell my dad that it wasn't Cloud's fault, he would never believe me. It had been over ten years since then and, he still despised Cloud with every inch of his being.

I let the hot water rush over me, washing the anger, the hurt, down the drain. For a moment, I could focus on important matters such as, what was I going to do with my life now that Marlene and I had left the city. We had left our lives behind in order to search for a new one. Or at least, that's how I saw it.

I walked out of the bathroom attached to my old room. So many memories we're trapped within the walls of this room. I noticed my father still left some of my pictures up. Many of them contained Aeris and I. Whether we we're at the lake swimming or, at her house, dressing in her mother's fabulous, flashy costumes, Aeris and I had had many great moments as kids.

Hearing footsteps in the hall, I ventured out too see Marlene, making her way to her bedroom.

"Hey, kiddo!" She turned and smiled at me. I followed her into her room, "You turning in?"

She yawned, "Yeah," She rubbed her eyes, "It's been a long day."

I looked at her, questioningly," What happened?"

She shrugged," Nothing, really." She crawled into her bed and pushed the covers down. I leaned down on the bed next to her, placing my hands on my chin. She giggled at my childish ways. "Humor me, Squirt."

She hesitated, "I don't know, it's nothing... I'm just nervous about school. Nobody likes me." She fumbled with the edge of the blanket, staring at her hands as she did.

"Don't worry, Marlene. You'll make some friends soon; it takes more than one day to find them. Trust me." I winked, and she giggled. I lifted myself off the bed and pulled the covers over her. "You're a very likeable girl, Marlene. How tight do you want to be tucked in?"

"Super tight." She lifted her arms and I stuffed the blanket all around and underneath her body. "Okay, good night, Marlene." I kissed her on the cheek and turned off the light switch, glancing at her as she pulled her stuffed moogle close to her as she drifted off to sleep.


	6. My Other Mother

Scrambled eggs we're not my specialty, but my dad requested it, so I tried my best.

As I made my way throughout the kitchen, I found myself looking over at Mary's house, hoping to see some sort of activity from within.

"Good morning, how is my beautiful daughter this morning?" My father leaned over and kissed my cheek. I smiled at him, shaking my head at his early morning optimism. "Gee, dad. You make it hard for me, not being a morning person, to mope at the early hour." I placed some eggs on his plate and he proceeded to grab bacon and toast.

"Ah, c'mon, Tifa. It's a brand new day! The sun is shining, the air is-"

"Yeah, Yeah. I remember the drill." I took a large sip of my first coffee of the day, relishing in the feel of the caffeine, surging through my veins. It felt glorious.

"Mom, I don't feel good." Marlene came strolling in, holding her stomach, feigning an illness.

Dad laughed, "You're going to school, Spud!" Marlene pouted, I smiled sympathetically.

"He's right, Honey." I placed some breakfast on a plate for her and she sulked her way to the table. Suddenly the phone rang and my dad went to retrieve it. I filled a plate and went to join Marlene.

"Marlene, it's for you," He returned and Marlene rushed to the phone. I swallowed and watched her leave, fiddling with the ties of my bathrobe while I listened to her soft voice. I looked to my father, hoping for some information, but he continued to devour his breakfast. Marlene rushed back into the room, the brightest smile on her face.

"Daddy says he misses me and he wants me to phone him after school so I can talk to him more! He really misses me." She beamed.

I conjured up the best smile I could muster, "Of course he does, Honey." She sat back down and finished her breakfast. I had lost interest in mine and continued to sip my coffee, trying to compose myself and be happy for my daughter's sake.

I sat up instantly when I heard a crash. Trying to settle my heart, I looked over at the television set that sat on a stand in the corner. Some cowboy western movie was playing and it had woken me from what was already a restless sleep. Marlene had already left for school and after the phone call she had received from her father that morning, I felt… weak. I had thought I had left him behind, hoped I had, but thinking that would be wrong. She was just as much his daughter as she was mine. He had every right to talk to her; I just hoped he wouldn't have so soon.

Stretching myself up, I walked over to my window, gazing into the Strife's backyard. The yard in which Cloud and I had played as kids, where we would look up into the stars, splash around in the creek with Aeris and Zack. I had spent a lot of my time there, against my father's wishes of course. Many times, he would actually let me go, I would tell him I was going to hang out with Aeris and he would hesitantly agree.

The days that passed were, for me, a blur. I spent most of my time in my room, trying to sleep away my pain. There we're a few days in which I spent time with Aerith. She had showed up to the house, demanding that I get my butt out of bed. I hesitantly did so.

Cloud had phoned a few times, asking how I was doing. Most of the time, I spent the duration of the phone calls crying. My heart would burst and he would reassemble the pieces, just like when we were kids. I could hear something in his voice when we talked, something between rage and sadness. On occasion, I could hear a waver in his voice, as if he were also as torn as I was.

A few weeks after our arrival, I woke up around midnight, my eyes sore from crying, as much as I didn't want to admit I had been. I walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I looked in the mirror. Pathetic. That's what I was, despicable. I threw on an old flannel coat over my pajamas and walked out the front door, attempting to walk off my frustrations. I had let Rufus turn me into the one thing I told myself to never become. A sniveling, pathetic woman, on her way into an extreme depression over 'some boy'.

Yet, as I thought these things to myself, I had no idea how to change my way of thinking. It seemed hopeless. I had worked myself into a hole and was subconsciously determined to stay there.

Finding myself in the center of town, I looked up at the crumbling, rusty well. Cloud and I used to secretly meet here. Ever since we we're kids we would sit there and gaze into the stars, talking about anything. Sometimes, there was no talking. We would sit in silence and appreciate each other's company. It was also the place where Cloud told me he was going away. It was the last place I saw him, until now.

I climbed the ladder, cautiously. I could feel and hear it creak with every rung I climbed. Looking up, I nearly fell off as Cloud peered around the side of the well; his eyes glowed hauntingly in the moonlight.

"Tifa?" He reached down to help me up the last few steps, "What are you doing here? It's late."

"I should ask you the same thing." We sat on the ledge, dangling our feet over the way we would as kids.

He paused, trying to phrase his words," Couldn't sleep…" He looked down at his hands.

"Guess that makes two of us." His hands… They had always been so intriguing to me. No one had hands like Cloud. They could be gentle and soft or, if he wanted them too, they could be rough and skilled. He used to get into a lot of fights when he was a kid, mostly because of me.

"Bad dream?"

I hesitated, "Or lack thereof," He looked at me, puzzled," I just… Can't seem to sleep anymore." I fiddled with the snaps of the jacket I wore.

He looked away again, not saying anything. He slowly wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I leaned into his chest, relishing in the comfort of his scent. I closed my eyes tightly, willing my tears to stay hidden, but that was a losing battle.

"I'm sorry, Tifa," He whispered," Honestly. As much as I hated him, I really am sorry." He ran his hand up and down my arm. It was reassuring, comfortable.

"I'm sorry that I never listened to you. You we're right all along. It's my own fault for being blind to it." I felt a tear trek down my cheek. He rested his cheek against the top of my head while I silently cried. His grip tightened slightly on my arm and I knew, despite my own sorrow, that Cloud was hurting too, whether for me or his own reasons I would never find out. So we sat, as we had done so many times in the past, holding each other together.

Chapter 6

"Are you gonna come and see me, Daddy?"

I sat in the kitchen, demolishing a stack of napkins. Rufus had promised Marlene that he would call her three times a week and thus far, he hadn't broken it. The part about wanting to talk to me too was the stressful part. I had wanted to leave him in the past, but he seemed oh-so insistent on 'talking about things' to let me go through with my initial plan. I rubbed my forehead, not wanting to feel the damaging effects of hearing his voice. As much as I hoped to leave him behind, as much as I wanted to convince myself that I was over him, hearing his voice was enough to keep me bed ridden for a few days, as ashamed as I was to admit it.

"Here you go, Mom!" Marlene was always so exuberant after talking to him; I wondered how she did it.

"Tifa?" His gentle, soothing voice caused me to bite my lip.

I took a deep breath, "Rufus," I mustered up the most cheerful voice I could," How are you?"

"Fine, now, Tifa, I want to talk to you about something serious."

I was taken aback slightly, "Uh, alright. Sure. What?"

"Marlene has requested that I come for a visit. Now, I know by now that you've probably got the whole town on your side so, I would like to arrange a point at which I could pick her up without ridicule."

I cocked my eyebrow, knowing he couldn't see it, "Uh, I haven't done anything, thank you very much."

He chuckled, "Sure, anyways. I was thinking, Rocket Town would be the most convenient place for me to get her from. We could stay with Cid, you remember him? He was one of the pilots from work."

Cid was a good man. He used to bring Marlene models of the different kinds of planes he flew. He was very much like an uncle to her, "Um, Sure. Yeah, you'll have to call him and see if he's okay with it. How long do you want to have her for?"

He sighed into the phone, "I'm not sure, I'll have to check my schedule. Elmyra will have to clear some things up but, I would think a few days would do it."

I held my breath for a minute, trying to keep composure as I carefully asked my next question, "Is Elena going to come with you?"

Rufus sighed once again, obviously annoyed with me, "Well, it would be healthy for Marlene to see us, when I say us I mean you, Elena and I, interacting."

My heart clenched, "No, Rufus, if you want to spend time with Marlene, I want you to be with her. I don't want to be there. I'll drop her off for you but after that, I'll come home and you can have your time with her." I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding.

"Oh," He scoffed, "Not handling this well, are you?"

I opened my mouth, disgusted, "I'm fine, Rufus. I'd just rather you not need reconstructive surgery on your face."

He laughed, "Oh, Tifa. How I missed your flirtatious threats."

"Goodbye, Rufus. Let me know when you would like me to bring Marlene to Rocket Town." I hung the phone up, clenching my teeth and trying to regulate my breathing. I closed my eyes.

"Mom, there's a lady at the door. She says she is our neighbor."

"Just a minute, Marlene. You can let her in, it's Mary." I gripped the sink and took one last breath.

"Tifa, I thought I told you to bring this young lady over to meet me?" Mary rounded the corner and I stood up straight. She stopped walking towards me, her face riddled with concern. I turned away," Would you like some tea? Or, maybe coffee?"

She hesitated slightly, "I would love some tea, dear." I turned again and the smile returned to her face.

"Marlene, this is Mary Strife. I've told you about her before." I turned the stove on, resting the kettle atop the burner.

Marlene climbed onto the chair next to Mary, with paper and crayons, "You said she was your 'Other Mother', right?" Mary chuckled.

"Oh, Tifa. How you continue to flatter me." The kettle sang loudly and I picked it up.

"It's the truth though," I took out a pair of mugs and brought them to the table, "You we're extremely important to me back then, you still are. Shoot, it seems all we have is regular."

She hesitated before she spoke, "That's fine, Tifa," I brought the tea and sat on her other side. She placed her hand over mine and gently squeezed it, "Now I want to hear all about this young beauty you have here." Marlene blushed and smiled, coyly at Mary. I spent the next hour beaming at my daughter as Mary questioned her about every little thing. Her interests, hobbies, how was school, how she liked Nibelhiem. My thoughts drifted to Cloud. Here I sat; in a place he was no longer welcome, with his mother. It felt wrong.

"Mom said that they were best friends, isn't that right, Mom?"

I snapped back, "What was that, Sorry?"

Mary laughed, "We were talking about Cloud, dear. How you and he were best friends."

"Oh, "I chuckled, "Yeah… The best. Speaking of Cloud, what exactly was he doing around grade 11?"

Mary's face fell, I swallowed, and "He went to join the ShinRa Company, dear."

I nodded. I remembered that part; he had apparently been part of ShinRa before Rufus was promoted. "Did something happen while he was there?"

"Well, he went and joined that campaign back then, SOLIDER or whatever it was called. He was very vague about why he wanted to join but, he went. He came back, 5 years later. He-," She paused, taking a deep breath, "He came back almost unscathed, he was alive, thank the lord. He had joined after the war was over so, he never got to go. He went on a lot of missions. During one, their base was attacked by rebels. He had gotten shot twice trying to get Zack out of the way, just above his heart. He was sent back here as soon as he was well enough to travel."

I placed my hand above my heart," My God…" Looking at Mary, it was clear that she had suffered a great deal of agony. I could only imagine. Hearing that your son was injured would have been a hard thing to face alone. I was ready to storm out of the house and drill him for answers. How could he have not told me about his missions or, injuries?

"Well, anyways," She recomposed herself, "He's better now. Clearer. He finds great happiness in helping around town. He tires his best and has earned quite a bit of respect in these parts. The people are starting to forgive him." She smiled, pride clear as crystal, spread across her face.

I felt suddenly sad, "I'm sorry, Mary."

She looked at me, shocked, "Why dear?"

I fiddled with my cup of tea, "It was because of me that the town hated him. Because of my father."

She placed her aged hand across mine once again, "You have nothing to apologize for. It was an unfortunate accident and neither of you could've helped it. It was unfair how the townspeople acted, yes but, we cannot undo the past. All we can do is move forward, with no regrets."

Marlene looked between the two of us, clearly unable to understand the magnitude of the conversation so, she turned back to her drawing and I watched her.

"Oh," Instantly in motherly mode, Mary looked at the drawing," It's beautiful, Marlene! Looks like we've got another artist in our midst." Mary winked at me. I bit my lip, smiling and, as per usual, thinking of the one person who plagued my thoughts. Cloud.


End file.
